Wangen an der Aare
Encyclopedia
Wangen an der Aare is a municipality
in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
This small town lies between Olten
and Solothurn
in rural surroundings on the Aare, a major river of the west-central lowland region of Switzerland, the Mittelland. An ancient wooden covered bridge crosses the Aare at this point. Wangen an der Aare was the administrative centre of the former district of the same name.
railway line and close to the A1 motorway.
mountain range. Wangen's coat of arms
shows crossed St Peter's keys in blue on a white ground. The nobles (or Vögte) who held the lordship of Wangen adopted this symbol which had been the badge of the Upper Aargau estates of the monastery
of St Peter in Schwarzwald. The earliest document to be sealed with the crossed-keys symbol dates from the year 1380.
The castle, built by the Kyburger dynasty in 1407, became the seat of the Bernese regional governorship, and some departments of the regional administration are still housed in the building today. The settlement occupied a strategically important spot, guarding the river-crossing and serving as a customs and staging-point for waterway traffic on the Aare. When the latter trade came to an end the little town experienced a serious economic crisis. The salt house of 1775 remains today as a testament to this past.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 39.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(25.4%), the SPS
(15.8%) and the Green Party
(6.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%. In Wangen about 75.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Wangen has an unemployment rate of 1.76%. , there were 53 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 18 businesses involved in this sector. 240 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 37 businesses in this sector. 673 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 107 businesses in this sector.
. Today Wangen an der Aare is the Transport Corps' main centre and a training-place for disaster relief and rescue units. The Corps of Engineers' bridge-builders, the Pontoniers, also train here.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Bern in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
This small town lies between Olten
Olten
Olten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub of Switzerland.-History:...
and Solothurn
Solothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
in rural surroundings on the Aare, a major river of the west-central lowland region of Switzerland, the Mittelland. An ancient wooden covered bridge crosses the Aare at this point. Wangen an der Aare was the administrative centre of the former district of the same name.
Transport links
Wangen is situated on the Biel/Bienne - OltenOlten
Olten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub of Switzerland.-History:...
railway line and close to the A1 motorway.
History
Wang(en) means an area at the foot of a slope; in this case the slope in question is almost certainly that of the nearby JuraJura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
mountain range. Wangen's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
shows crossed St Peter's keys in blue on a white ground. The nobles (or Vögte) who held the lordship of Wangen adopted this symbol which had been the badge of the Upper Aargau estates of the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of St Peter in Schwarzwald. The earliest document to be sealed with the crossed-keys symbol dates from the year 1380.
The castle, built by the Kyburger dynasty in 1407, became the seat of the Bernese regional governorship, and some departments of the regional administration are still housed in the building today. The settlement occupied a strategically important spot, guarding the river-crossing and serving as a customs and staging-point for waterway traffic on the Aare. When the latter trade came to an end the little town experienced a serious economic crisis. The salt house of 1775 remains today as a testament to this past.
Geography
Wangen has an area of 5.2 km² (2 sq mi). Of this area, 42.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 28.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 20.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (8.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).Demographics
Wangen has a population (as of ) of . , 12.5% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 7.4%. Most of the population speaks German (91.0%), with Albanian being second most common ( 3.0%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.4%).In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 39.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(25.4%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(15.8%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(6.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%. In Wangen about 75.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Wangen has an unemployment rate of 1.76%. , there were 53 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 18 businesses involved in this sector. 240 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 37 businesses in this sector. 673 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 107 businesses in this sector.
Army base
The modern-day Swiss Army base at Wangen is a link to the town's history as a military centre. The base grew up around the riverside warehouses, where field howitzer units were stationed in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Today Wangen an der Aare is the Transport Corps' main centre and a training-place for disaster relief and rescue units. The Corps of Engineers' bridge-builders, the Pontoniers, also train here.